Editorial: Sharing concerns

Prime Minister Rutte’s concerns about St. Maarten held no surprises for anyone familiar with the local situation. Money, justice and integrity are the keywords.

That the budget has to be established is a bit of a no-brainer. That there are justice-related concerns is something the government is acutely aware of as well.

Then there is of course the matter of integrity. While Dutch newspapers reported that Rutte “demands” that St. Maarten tackles corruption, we heard something different. Rutte actually appreciated PM Wescot-Williams’ initiative to contact Transparency International for an integrity assessment.

Rutte also said, and rightly so, that St. Maarten is an autonomous country standing on its own legs. The debt relief book is closed, and – like with all other internal matters – it does not behoove the PM of the Netherlands to “demand” anything from our government. As we have learned over the course of the years, the buck usually stops at sharing concerns. That’s how it ought to be.